Abu Dhabi: President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan granted Dh370 million for the endowment campaign organised by the General Authority for Islamic Affairs and Awqaf.

The grant was announced during a ceremony held on Tuesday under the patronage of General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, honoured key sponsors and philanthropists and the winning students in the endowment campaign for their support and contribution to the success of the campaign. He presented mementos, cash prizes and certificates of appreciation.

The campaign, launched on the first day of Ramadan, aims at reviving the Sunna Waqf and helping alleviate the burden of the poor and the needy.

It sponsors orphans and needy students and poor people. It also provides healthcare, helps to build and renovate mosques.

Dr Hamdan Musallam Al Mazroui, chairman of the authority, said: It gives me great pleasure to honour the participants in the endowment campaign.

The sponsors of the campaign will help to fulfil its maximum potential, Al Mazroui said. The ceremony began with the national anthem presented by students of the Emirates School in Abu Dhabi, followed by recitation of some verses from the Quran in the presence of Islamic scholars and preachers invited by Shaikh Khalifa to give lectures during Ramadan.

Al Mazroui hailed Shaikh Khalifa, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and Their Highnesses the Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates for their generous support to Islamic endowments.

The campaign, launched on the first day of Ramadan, aims at reviving the Sunna Waqf and helping alleviate the burden of the poor and the needy.